Method of hardening wooden flooring blanks having improved separation characteristics

Abstract

A method of hardening wooden flooring blanks by impregnating the wooden flooring blanks with a hardener while the wooden flooring blanks are in a bundle, wherein the bundled hardened wooden flooring blanks have improved separation characteristics following completion of the impregnation treatment. The method includes the steps of assembling a plurality of wooden flooring product blanks into a bundle of blanks in surface-to-surface contact with each other and enclosing the wooden flooring blanks in a pressure vessel. The pressure vessel is evacuated and an effective quantity of a hardening composition for being impregnated into the wooden flooring blanks is introduced into the pressure vessel. An effective quantity of a polyethylene glycol composition is introduced into the pressure vessel. The wooden flooring blanks are soaked in the hardening composition and the polyethylene glycol composition for a predetermined period of time. Increased pressure is applied to the wooden flooring blanks to drive the hardening composition and the polyethylene glycol composition into the wooden flooring blanks. The impregnated flooring blanks separate from each other without damage to the exposed surfaces. Stability of the blanks is enhanced.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of hardening wooden flooring blanks by impregnating the wooden flooring blanks with a non-aqueous hardening composition while the wooden flooring blanks are in a bundle, wherein the bundled hardened wooden flooring blanks have improved separation characteristics following completion of the impregnation treatment, comprising the steps of: (a) assembling a plurality of wooden flooring product blanks into a bundle of blanks in surface-to-surface contact with each other;   (b) enclosing the wooden flooring blanks in a pressure vessel;   (c) evacuating the pressure vessel;   (d) introducing into said vessel an effective quantity of monomethymethacrylate hardening composition for being impregnated into said wooden flooring blanks;   (e) introducing into said vessel an effective quantity of a polyethylene glycol composition;   (f) soaking said wooden flooring blanks in said hardening composition and said polyethylene glycol composition for a predetermined period of time; and   (g) applying increased pressure to said wooden flooring blanks to drive said hardening composition and said polyethylene glycol composition into the wooden flooring blanks.   
     
     
       2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of soaking said wooden flooring blanks in said hardening composition and said polyethylene glycol composition for a predetermined period of time is carried out at greater than atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said soaking step includes a first step at ambient pressure and a second step at greater than atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       4. A method according to claim 1, and including the step of removing from the vessel excess amounts of the hardening composition and said polyethylene glycol composition which have not soaked into the flooring blanks before applying increased pressure to said wooden flooring blanks. 
     
     
       5. A method according to claim 1, and including the application of heat to the wooden flooring blanks along with the increased pressure. 
     
     
       6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said wooden flooring blanks comprise blanks chosen from the group consisting of parquet blocks, veneer strips and solid wood. 
     
     
       7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said wooden flooring blanks comprise blanks chosen from the group consisting of oak and maple. 
     
     
       8. A method according to claim 1, and including the step of introducing a wood stain into the pressure vessel with the hardening composition for staining the wood blanks while they are hardened. 
     
     
       9. A method of hardening wooden flooring blanks by impregnating the wooden flooring blanks with a hardener while the wooden flooring blanks are in a bundle, wherein the bundled hardened wooden flooring blanks have improved separation characteristics following completion of the impregnation treatment, comprising the steps of: (a) assembling a plurality of wooden flooring product blanks into a bundle of blanks in surface-to-surface contact with each other;   (b) enclosing the wooden flooring blanks in a pressure vessel;   (c) evacuating the pressure vessel;   (d) introducing into said vessel a blended, non-aqueous hardening composition comprising a catalyst and a catalyst-curable monomethylmethacrylate and a polyethylene glycol composition for being impregnated into said wooden flooring blanks;   (e) soaking said wooden flooring blanks in said blended hardening composition for a predetermined period of time;   (f) draining excess amounts of said hardening composition from said pressure vessel;   (g) applying pressure to said wooden flooring blanks to drive said blended hardening composition into the wooden flooring blanks;   (h) applying heat to said wooden flooring blanks to accelerate the catalyst to thereby cure said monomethylmethacrylate; and   (i) removing said bundle of wooden flooring blanks from said pressure vessel.   
     
     
       10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of introducing into said vessel the blended hardening composition includes the step of pressurizing the pressure vessel to a first predetermined pressure. 
     
     
       11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said wooden flooring blanks comprise blanks chosen from the group consisting of parquet blocks, veneer strips and solid wood. 
     
     
       12. A method according to claim 9, wherein said wooden flooring blanks comprise blanks chosen from the group consisting of oak and maple. 
     
     
       13. A method according to claim 9, and including the step of introducing a wood stain into the pressure vessel with the hardening composition for staining the wood blanks while they are hardened. 
     
     
       14. A wooden flooring blank made according to the method of claim 1,2,3,4, 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12, or 13.